Navigating Growth in Challenging Times with Kendall Justiniano

This episode Material Growth, features replay of a discussion by our Founder, Kendall Justiniano, on the Burn the Playbook podcast. Host Marc Crosby interviews Kendall Justiniano, and together, they discuss the ongoing downturn in chemicals and manufacturing, the impact of digital transformation, evolving roles in sales and marketing, and ways companies can uncover growth opportunities. The conversation centers on moving beyond outdated approaches to successfully navigate today’s challenging business environment.

Key Insights

• The length and root causes of the current global downturn

• Why the Old Playbook for chemical leaders is no longer enough.

• Re-assessing Sustainability to survive economic headwinds.

• China’s role in the current downturn.

• The decline of Commercial Excellence in Industrial B2B

Kendall Justiniano is the founder and managing director of Growth Arc Advisors. With a career spanning over 30 years at leading companies including Dow and WR Grace, he brings extensive experience in the chemical and material industries. Kendall has worked across sales, marketing, and product management, navigating diverse industry sectors—from specialty to commodity, high-growth to turnaround situations and divestments.

His unique strength lies in his "Fundamentals Analysis" approach, allowing him to "read the tea leaves" and identify significant opportunities, such as his early championship of composites at Polyone/Avient, which now accounts for a substantial portion of Avient's revenue. This comprehensive perspective is central to Growth Arc Advisors' mission: helping chemical leaders find growth opportunities in an increasingly challenging environment.

Key topics discussed 

1. Structural Shifts in the Chemical Industry
   • Challenges of the prolonged downturn and the need for new growth tactics.
   • The importance of adapting to changing customer habits and technology.
2. Mindset and Strategy Adjustments
   • Evaluating sustainability initiatives critically, focusing on ROI.
   • Necessity of cost cutting while retaining/building strategic capabilities.
3. New Approaches for Sales & Marketing
   • Permanent changes in the sales cycle due to digital tech and AI.
   • Marketing's expanded role in early customer engagement.
   • Emphasis on consultative selling and building customer relationships.
   • Importance of revisiting segmentation to find growth opportunities.
4. Future-Proofing & Growth Models
   • The risk of standing still; focus on phased, fundamentals-driven growth strategies.
5. "Burn It or Build It" Segment
   • Quick takes on current industry trends (e.g., sustainability with no P&L impact: "burn it"; sales and marketing alignment: "build it"; nearshoring, customer self-service, inside sales, etc.).
6. Final Takeaways
   • Immediate, actionable advice: review and deepen segmentation for actionable insights and growth.

Show Notes

• • The Burn the Playbook Podcast and a transcript of this Episode

  • Kendall Justiniano on LinkedIn

  • Growth Arc Advisors website

  • Marc Crosby (podcast host) on LinkedIn

Until next week,